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Thursday, January 22, 2015

The Texture Pop: Episode 24: "Oh No She Has Ovaries. Fuck What Do We Do!?"

At long last, the crew is all together again. As a result, we're all rearing and ready to go with our usual shenanigans.

0:02:02 Viewer Questions"What do you guys think of Project Steam?"
I wish at least one of us took a more serious look into it. Unfortunately, this was a very disappointing answer to the viewer question.

"What do you guys think of Splatoon?"
This was a much better answer. Not much more to add aside from what was said. I need to see more before I can comment further.

0:08:55 Gaming NewsTransformers Universe shutting down
We do talk a bit about MOBAs and microtransactions in this segment, which is an interesting conversation. Mostly because it shows our groups various levels of tolerance with regards to microtransactions. For example, Garrett and Sam don't really question paying $10-$15 for a skin. I, however, could not possibly justify spending that much on something purely cosmetic in a video game. There's just no way.

Shadowrun: Hong Kong Kickstarter
If you love Computer RPGs, you should definitely get in on this. I can't stress how good these guys at Harebrained Schemes are.

Uncharted 4 won't have 60 FPS if it "impacts the player experience"
The great frame-rate discussion continues.
This is a pretty big topic, because it hits to the core of what many criticize about AAA gaming. That is, the push for higher graphical fidelity over smooth play. That topic is one I cannot hope to do justice to in the annotations of a podcast, so I will let the conversation stand.

0:48:10 Garrett has been playing Evolve
It pretty much confirmed what I was most afraid of. This is a game, a lot like Left 4 Dead. If you don't play it with a group, you should not be playing it at all. That's just not worth $60 to me. I don't find enough value in that.

1:09:00 I played Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep HD Final Mix (via the 2.5 ReMIX)
And that is it for the 2.5 ReMIX.

1:10:00 I played Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut.
Hearing about how the combat is thrown in because publishers really brings sense to the whole game. Now that I know that, it makes so much more sense.
It does make me want to watch Twin Peaks, as an aside.

1:17:40 We detour to discuss Hotline Miami 2 banning in Australia.
I actually took the time to do research on this after the fact. As it turns out, the Adult rating in video games only allows for more violence. Sex and sexual content is still just as taboo.

1:19:25 I played Diablo 3 on the PS4.
Items and number, my friends. Items and numbers.
And no auction house.

1:25:25 I played Assassin's Creed: Unity: Dead Kings
It's not a bad DLC, but it's not particularly brilliant. It's pretty average. Still, the story does more in that one DLC than the main game did for Arno's character, giving his arc a bit more closure. If you've got Unity already, it's free so you might as well try it. However, it's not worth getting the game to play this DLC.

1:38:10 Chris has been playing Assassin's Creed 3!
That game is awful!
One of the things we hit on in this conversation is the optional objectives in Assassin's Creed games. I personally think that those perfect synchronization objectives are totally antithetical to what I want from an Assassin's Creed game. I want to be able to choose my own path where doing missions. Those objectives are the opposite of that, because it makes players conform to one strategy. This was worsened by the excessive linearity of the missions as well.
The collectibles were also really pointless, because they were mostly for trophies without much of anything in terms of in-game rewards.
Overall, the game sucks. Don't play it, watch it.

2:01:35 Sam watched some anime.
Like how Chris and Garrett are the movie guys, Sam is the anime guy. I'll leave that to him.

2:16:50 Sam and I record some Interactive Friction
And we talk about it. You, on the other hand, should go watch it.